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Year Description
1935 Earliest Departmental record found; Winthrop Wells Chair of Department of Education and Psychology; Philosophy was also taught
1945 Responsibility for teaching philosophy transferred from Education and Psychology Department to new non-departmental Philosophy unit
1947 Education and Psychology Department split into two distinct, separate departments; Claude C. Neet named Chair of Psychology
1947 Psychology Department moved from basement of Stockbridge Hall to Liberal Arts Annex expanding the available space for laboratories
1948 Structure changed from Massachusetts State College to University of Massachusetts
1953 PhD Program in Psychology approved
1960 Psychology Department moved to Bartlett Hall (plus space in Middlesex and Berkshire), enabling growth of the undergraduate and graduate teaching program and improving research laboratories
1963 Psychological Services Center established as Child Guidance Center (in 1968 it expanded into a comprehensive services center)
1967 Mortimer Appley replaces Claude Neet as Department Head; dramatic expansion of Department begins
1972 Psychology Department moved to Tobin Hall
1973 Fire possibly caused by computer electrical short damaged parts of the 5th and 4th floors of Tobin Hall; repair required 50% of Tobin equipment/furnishings funds
1973 NSF Departmental Development Grant awarded; permitted hiring of 15 faculty, provided substantial material support
1978 Earliest version of Policies & Procedures found; brief form called "Directions"
1979 Divisional structure created: D1 Biopsychology, D2 Cognitive Developmental Educational, D3 Pesonality Social, D4 Clinical
1980 Course load reduced from 4 to 3 courses per year (conditional upon research involvement)
1981 Division 2 Training grant received
1985 Psycholinguistic Training Grant received
1995 Department ranked as #27 of 190 departments surveyed by the National Research Council
1995 Tobin Hall computer network installed by Tel Com (using existing phone wiring)
1996 Departmental server, e-mail services, etc. created
1997 Center for Neuroendocrine Studies established by now Professor Emeritus Jeffrey Blaustein
1997 Creation of first Departmental web page (courtesy of UMass OIT)
1999 Undergraduate specialization in Developmental Disabilities and Human Services (DDHS) offered
2003 Center for Research on Families established (expansion of 1970's Center for the Family, endowed in 1996)
2004 The Psychology of Peace and Violence Program was launched by a private endowment and matching support through the University of Massachusetts
2004 Initiative in Cognitive Science begins
2008 Endowed chair in the Rudd Adoption Research Program established
2008 Tobin Hall 4th and 5th floor offices attached more solidly to the building
2010 Department moved to College of Natural Sciences
2013 Developmental Science Initiative established
2014 Name changed from Psychology Department to Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
2014 The Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) established, combining expertise from 250 faculty members associated with 7 schools and colleges and 29 departments
2014 IALS receives Siemens 3T Skyra MRI/MRS Scanner, part of the Human Magnetic Resonance Center in Life Science Laboratories
2016 Keith Rayner Memorial Graduate Student Research Fund established
2016 Healthy Development Initiative established